1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods of the exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept relate to a server connected to an image forming apparatus and a client, a client, and a method of remotely installing a driver of the image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a server connected to an image forming apparatus and a client to remotely install a driver by client groups according to status information of a client, a client, and a method of remotely installing a driver of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an image printed on paper. The image forming apparatus may be realized by a printer, a copy machine, a fax, a multi-functional device having two or more functions, etc.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for an image forming apparatus as office automation equipment such as a multi-functional device which not only serves a printing function to output a document but also functions as a scanner, a fax, or the like. Thus, the image forming apparatus is being gradually developed into a high-performance device by expanding its own functions to carry out a variety of roles, and available functions of the image forming apparatus may be limited by authority of a user which is set up.
Accordingly, an image forming apparatus sets up a driver of the image forming apparatus installed in each client differently and controls them through a system administrator in order to efficiently control an image forming system including at least one client PC (a host device) connected via a network according to authority of a user.
Specifically, the system administrator, i.e., a server PC, has access to each client in a remote mode to carry out remote installation, e.g., to distribute and install or to delete software such as a driver.
However, in a conventional process of remotely installing software, a server transmits an installation command unilaterally to conduct remote installation without considering status information of each client, so that already installed software may be installed again in a client.
Further, since the server may not identify that an installation condition of software to be installed does not correspond to an environment of a client, the server transmits an installation command unilaterally to carry out remote installation, resulting in installation failure.
Accordingly, time and resources are uselessly wasted owing to the server's unilateral remote installation in a client where installation is not needed or is impossible.